The invention is in the field of electrical component handling, particularly picking up, transporting, and placing components.
The prior art teaches such component handling wherein a group of components are picked up at a "pick" station by a multi-spindle head through sequential repositioning of the head in X and Y so that each spindle may be loaded, in turn. Then, the multi-spindle head is moved to a "place" station at which the spindles are unloaded.
It is also known to pick-up a group of components simultaneously by means of a plurality of vacuum spindles, each of which is supported on a cantilevered arm which may be flexed slightly for lateral displacement of its spindle from a normal position, and to place the group simultaneously onto a circuit board in a pattern which is different from that at pick-up.
The theoretical potential rate of component handling is unreachable unless the site patterns of the pick station and place station duplicate the pattern of an array of spindles on the multi-spindle head. If the site pattern of either the pick station or the place station does not match the pattern of the multi-spindle array, then the whole multi-spindle head must be retranslated in X and Y for each pick-up or placement of a component, resulting in a slower rate of component handling.
Additionally, feeder misalignments can cause pick-up site pattern discrepancies; and board warping, shrinking, and stretching can cause placement site pattern discrepancies. Heretofore, these discrepancies have prevented the component handling industry from meeting the accuracy requirements for picking and placing groups of components simultaneously. Additionally, testing of electrical functioning of the group of components has not been suggested, even when groups of components have been picked simultaneously or sequentially for subsequent sequential placement.
It is desirous to present groups of presequenced components at a pick-up station, with the sequence being readily changeable from one group to the next, in a particular site pattern. It is desirous also to pick-up the components of the group simultaneously by means of a multi-spindle head, transport them to a placement station having a placement site pattern different from or like the pick-up site pattern, and place the group simultaneously onto a circuit board.
Accomplishing these objectives requires, among other things, that the spindle tip pattern agree with the pick-up site pattern during pick-up and with the placement site pattern during placing of the components onto the circuit board. And for the industry involved, it is also desirous that the pattern of conductors on every component of the group align exactly with the contact pattern of each pad on the circuit board corresponding to each component.
It is an object of the invention to overcome deficiencies in the prior art and accomplish these goals in a manner which will become more apparent from the following disclosure.